Potato digger



Sept. 25, 1928.

T. GIBERSON POTATO DIGGER Filed April 1e, 192e 4 sheets-sheet I venam-Sept. 25, 1928.

T. GIBERSON PO'lfATO DI GGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April V16, 1926 w mw.mw mw mw mm u \W Pv m@ mw .ww

Invenoif':

Teowms 'zerson, ff/WW T. GIBERSON POTATO DIGGER Sept. 25, 192s.

Filed April 1e, 192e 4 sheets-sheet 3 T2@ omas fae' vsovg fag f i Invenor: i

Sept. 25, 1928.

T. GIBERSON POTATO DI GGER Filed April 16, 192e 4 sheets-Shah' 4OOOwGwV/...OO

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'the horse drawn type and Patented Sept. 25, 1925."

Uivifrr stares;

`THOMAS GIBnRsoN. or crimson, MAINE.

Porafio morena.

Application filed April 16,

potato diggers of This invention relates to aims to provide a machine ofthat class having,

' the novel features and improvements hereinparts in section on the lineFig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow with lertain parts omittedfor clearness; u Fig. 6, a vertical section o n the line G-f, Fig. 1,from the right with some parts omitted; F

Figf'?, a vertical s ection on thehne (f7, Fig. 1, also from the right,showing the bunc i ing men'ibers in full, however; .l

Fig. 8, a partial horizontal section on the i Fig. 1; and

line 8-8,

Fig. 9, a detail plan of apart of the receiver Y showing itsconstruction.

l .Referring first to-Figs. 1 and 2, my novel potato digger comprises aframe 1, mounted on a pair of wheels 2 of convenient size, the framehaving, near 'its forward end, an upwardly and forwardly extended yoke 3by means of which the digger may be hauled by a horse or horses.

To the forward endof the frame 1, Figs. 1,

2,' there is secured a ldownwardly inclinedV spade 4l, comprising a flatsheet of metal, of sufficient length to extend down into lthe ground aVfew inches beneath the potato `row, i. e., the vines, weeds andpotatoes, to raise it sufliciently to enable it to readily slide uponthe forward end of the elevator' 6 to be dcscribed; ln order to keep thepotato vines and attached dirt with the potatoes from breaking apart andscattering, and the potatoes from getting under the digger wheels, thespadeis also provided with sides 5, and has its front edge concave orrearwardly in* clined, see Fig. 5, so thatit may' more easily be pushedinto and under the row with less inclination to push til@ row ahead ofit than among others,

1926. Serial No. 102,472.

wouldbe the .case ifthe front edges of the spade were straight. y

. At harvest time, the vines are from one foot ,to two anda half feetlong, aieheavy and lie across the row, and it has always ben a serious*problem to force theni up through the digger properly. For positioningthe 'vines and weeds lengthwise or longitudinally of therow so that allof them more conveniently -and surely may be picked up, and in a morecoinpact mass fed intothevdigger by the spade, I provide, Figs'. 1, 2,at the extreme forward end of a bar 7 pivoted at 8 on each side of theframe 1, a pointed plow or vine positioning member 9,-which engages andpositions the vines longitudinally. of the row, the `plow being pivotedto the bari? and'yieldingly held in position byga l'spring 10whiclniflthe plow strikes a stone'too large to be thrust aside .by

it, will permit the plowto yield backwardly' and ride over thestonewithout stopping the digger.r y l For receiving-'and elevating thepotatoes and vines ,fromv the spade, Figs.l 1, 2, there is provided theelevator 6 .already referred to, which may comprise any form of endlesschain 11 with crossl bars orinembers 12 at..`

frequent .intervals and which travels vover rollsl and sprockets 141 onshafts 15, 16 jour-` naledl in the inner faces of thelopposite sides voftheV frame 1'.. The elevator is necessarily slack and hangs loosely overidler rolls 133 on the sides of` the frainebecause rocks fre- Vquentlyfall bet-weenthe elevator andfrollsl 13 andl if the lelevator were tootight, it would be broken or stopped by the rocks. The elevator 11 alsotravels over an'felliptical gear 166 on Athe frainewhich.givesgtheelevator an np and ldown nioveinentwhich tends to sift the soil andsmall rocks between the slats or bars 12 to the ground. rldhe shaft16,'F-ig'.1,

also carries on one end, iisprocket wheel 17 over which and below theidler 18 on the frame runs a chain 19 from the wheel 2O on the shaft 21journaled in the r'ectangularfsection ofthe fraine 1 Thisshaft 21, inturn, carries the sprocket `wl'ieel which is driven by a chain 23 from'a motor, not shown, and mounted on the flatA motor seat 24 of the frame1.. i

VWhen using any digger, andpa'rticularly on a down grade, however,lthere isa great deal of trouble vexperienced from the potatoes andvines Sliding-backward and dropping f 2, 5, I have provided a theelevator before they can be carried to the top, and to overcome thisdifficulty, Figs. 1, V pusher in the shape of an endless chain on eachside of themachine and within the frame 1 and connected at frequentintervals by slats 26, the slatscarrying a strip of thick canvas 27,which pusher runs over sprockets 28, 29 carried by shaft -V30 mounted inthe bars T on the frame 1, and the shaft 31 in the frame, and asupportingr sprocket 32'also on the frame 1. This pusher is sopositioned as to height labove the elevator 6 thatthe canvas and :barsonthe lower run Willvrest upon the tops of the vines and potatoes on theelevator with considerable "Weight, traveling in the Vsame direction'butlslightly faster, and will Vthe framell, and Y .ribs 35 which, with theinclined Walls 36.0f the roll draw the vines and weeds about the 1 plows9 and inwardly from the sides of the y direction that row and from eachend of the roll and thus act upon the vines and potatoes, and sodcovering the latter, to ingapa'rt, and thus force them uponV theelevator beneath the pusher.

This roll 33, Figs; 1, 2, is driven in the same the digger travels bymeans of a sprocket wheel 37 onthe shaft 34 andchain 38 from the Wheel39on the Vshaft, 40, the chain running also over the adjusting sprockets41, 42, on the bars 7 and sprocket 43 which to be able to somewhat vbyoperates they pusher. The shaft 40, Fig. 1,

also carries fthe larger sprocket Wheel 44- Which'in turn is driven vbythe motor by means of thechain 19 a'lread. referred to. The bars 7 mayberaised or oWered relative to the Y:frame 1 to adjust theheight of thefeed roll 33, by means of a hand lever 45, and shaft 466 on the yoke 3,and links 47 on the bars 7 the leve-r 45 being provided with a spring47l Vto assist in its operation. Y

' The spring 47" alsoserves to counterbalan ce Vto solne extent theweight of the roll 33 on the potatoV row. this 'weight being determinedthe point on the lever 45 at which the spring 47 issecured to it. Inorder place still 'greater Weight upon thefeed roll'33 to increase itstraction upon the row particularly when going down hill, I haveprovidedsalso the foot pedal 46 by means of which the desired result canbe Y obtained.

From the elevator, the vines and potatoes, together with any rocks anddirt remaining elevator and not be pushed preventthem from break-y Aendsof which,

with them that failed'to fall between the slats 12 of the elevator aredelivered to the shaker 43k where the potatoes, vines, earth and small.rocks are separated from `each other. Heretofore the shaker has beenplaced forwardly of the rear end of the elevator to catch the vinesrandV potatoes and necessarily a-distance below the to permit themovement of the shaker, and thus the potatoes and rocks were droppedinto the shaker from so great a height that the potatoes were badlybruised and many were spoiled by the rocks. The best potato'land isusually sandy and rocky with a large number of rocks, hence the greatdanger to the potatoes. n

VTo avoid this Vdifiici'ilty, I haveV placed Vthe Vshaker at the Vrearofthe elevator and'also much higher than Vis usually| the case. A Tostill further guard against toes I have also provided,

Figs. 2, 5, a receiver or short conveyor 49 for the potatoes, vines' androcks, on which the material is dropped a. few inches'from the elevator.This conf veyor, or receiver, Fig. 5, comprises an endless chain oneachy side of the frame ruiming rearwardly over sprocket wheels 50, onshaft 51 and rolls 52 on shaft 53 journaledin the frame, thechainscarrying slats or strips 54, Fig. 2, and operated by a chain 55 runnin@over the wheel 56 roll -57 in the frame and wheel '58 on theV shaft 16that 'carries'the elevator 6, and from which shaft 16 the receiver isoperated. Y

n this receiver the vines and potatoes are rear end ofthe elevator,

bruising the 'pota- Y on theshaft 51,- theidler Y dropped from theelevator at a ydistance of 'Y only a few inches. mg the receiver in fallbetween the ro To guard against breakcase a small stone should ls 52 andslats 54, the rear Yshaft 53, Fig. 8, is journaled in a block 553 i,which is yieldingly held against the rear end of a slot 544 in theframe by a'spring 545, permitting the shaft to yieldy if necessary toavoid breaking the receiver. From the receiver the potatoes, stones andvinesr that do not fall between the slats 54 are droppedinto the shaker.

The shaker, Figs'l, 6, comprise airupright.

arched member 48 with rearwardly extended side bars 59, from whichisrswungby 'pivoted bars 60 reinforced and stiflencd by angularlypositioned bars 600 to prevent Vlateral Vvibratory movement of theshaker rear end, a bottom frame or head member 61 :as an angle iron,with side bars 62 61, in. turn, Fig. 3, extend rearwardlyfa row of .longvine sifting and supporting rods 63, and below them lpotato supportingrods 64. The bottom flange 65 of themember 62, Fig. 6, ispivoted at 66to a bar 67, the downwardly turned ends 68 r,cf which havepivoted tothem the ends of rocker bars 69, the opposite shaft 71 in the frame 1.VOn shaft Tl, Fig. 5, is a sprocket cranks TO on a one end of the andfrom which bar in turn. Fig. 1, are pivoted'lto l aesazao over whichruns the chain'. l55 from` the wheel' 58 of the elevator shaft'16, whichchain also runs over wheel 56 as already described.

, construction as,

- Obviously by means of the construction described the shaker will begiven a forward and backward rocking motion bythe cranks 70 and bars 69whichv will act'to sift from the rods 63 any potatoes and small rocksstill remaining mixed with them, the rocks and potatoes first falling onthe rods 64 and later to the ground beneath. rlhe shaker, Figs. 1, 7,isprovided with side' members 7 3 of lconvenient height to hold thevines, etc.

For collecting the vines and dumping them in piles periodically insteadof singly and indiscriminately,1 provide, Figs. 1, 2, y5, a novelfor-instance, on the bars 59, uprights 76,`carrying a shaft 77 on whichare bunching bars 7 8 hanging down to near the bottom of the shaker. Theshaft 77 carries an arm 79 yieldingly held in positionfby a coil spring80 on one upright 7 6.

The bars 78-collect` in front of' them the vines until the weight of themass overbalances the-tension of the spring 80 when it yields, the shaft77an'd bars 7 8 swing rearwardly and the mass of'vines isdroppedA in apile,thus depositingthevines in piles at intervals, 'making it mucheasier for the potato pickers t-o fin-d the potatoes than would be thecaseif the potatoes were covered by the vines dropped 'promiscuouslynlili For ensuring the unimpeded and regular feeding of the vinesv towardthe rear end'of the shaker, Figs. 1, 2, 5,' there is provided on the endof the frame 1 a shaft 83 bent to form crank like sections 84 on each ofwhich is pivoted a lever 85 which 1 term a kicker member. These kickers'are pivotally connected at their uppervends with long` links 86yieldingly-connected to the `motor base 24 of the frame so that as theshaft 83 isrotated the kickers regularly feed the vines rearwardly. Theshaft 83,Fig. 1, carries a sprocket wheel S7 over which Vand the rollVS8 and adjusting sprocket 89 in the frame, runs a chain 90 from a smallsprocket 91 on shaft 16, and by means of which the kickers are operated.Y

The arch shaped endmemberf48'of the shaker, Fig. 1, is provided at itsopposite sides with studs 92 which rest in slots 9B onopposite sidesofIthe frame and thus vthe shaker may be raised' or lowered about saidVstuds by means of rods 94 connected at one end, Fig. 2, to a bar ,95pivoted to the topof v member 48 and at their .other ends to the lowerarms 96, Fig. 1,'of the lever 97on the ends of the shaft 98kin the motorseat section 24. 1

To permit the vines `and potatoes to be dropped at one side of the row,Fig.'4,v and thus permit the digger to dig every row `of the potatoeswithout* driving .over and injuring the potatoes, the shakerV is alsoadj-ustable laterally' relative to the frame by l means .of/the studs.92V in tlie'slots 93.V This lateral swinging of the shaken-Fig; 1,-,iseffected by'means of the link 99 connecting onestud92 with the arm 100on loneend of the From the'bars 59 onv the shaker,Fig.^1, y

dependbars 106 (which, carry a `V-shaped scraper 107 which scrapes aAshallow channel. in the ground in which the potatoes will fall with lessvdanger of' scattering.

This inventionV isnot limitedto the particular embodiment `thereofdescribed .and

illust-ratedk herein, but is more particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims:

r1. -A potato digger comprising,Y in combi- Y nation a frame,ayieldingfrow positioning member near the forward end thereof,1a. row'lifting spadel having a concave row contacting front edge, an elevatoron the 'frame for receiving the row from the spade, and means includinga motor and connecting members thereto for operating the elevator. Y

2. A potato digger comprisinga frame, yielding row positioning membersnear the frontend thereof, a row preserving'and feeding member also Vonthe frame between the positioning memberst-oguidethe row centrallythereunder, and arow llifting spade i having a concave rowcontacting'front 'edge to lift the row guided thereto bythe positioningmember, and an' elevator receiving the row from the spade, means ontheframe for operating the elevator and/the rowv pre-` serving 'and feedingmember and means includingj a m'ovingfreceiver at the "elevated end ofthe row, and a shaker receiving. the

Vrow from the receiver.

' 3. Arpotato digger comprising a frame, row positioning membersthereon, a row feeding member between the positioning members forfeeding the row centrally thereunder, andan elevator for carrying thepotatoes directed to it by the feeding member; and a smooth surfaced rowpusher on the frame for resting upon and frictionally pushing the'rowrearwardly of the machine while on the elevator, and means on theframefor operating the feeding member, elevator and pusher. l" y. v .l

4. A potato digger comprising a frame,

lpositioning members.4 at the forward end thereof to position thevines'in the Arow longitudinally of the machine, a row feeding memH limllt)

ber between the positioning members for feed resting` upon andfrictionally pushing the' row rearwardly, a traveling receiver in therear of the elevator to receive the row there-1k from; and a verticallyadjustable and laterallyswinging shaker adjacent the receiver forreceiving the potatoes, and means on the frame for operating the feedingmember, ele-Y vator,re'ceiver and shaker.

45. A potato digger comprising a frame, yielding row positioning membersat the for.- ward end thereof, a motor-operated rotatable feeding memberbetween the positioning members for feeding the row centrally of thedigger, an elevator with a smooth surfaced row pusher 'thereoverrestingupon and fric-V tionally pushing the row rearwardly for elevatingthe row; a swinging shaker with a vine buncherat` the rear thereof, avme kicker for kicking the vines toward the bunchmg member and means onthe frame for operating the feeding member, elevator, row pusher andkicker. i n Y Y v ,6. A potato digger comprising a frame, row sitioningmembers thereon, a rotatable beve ed` row feeder between the positioningmembers kfor feeding thefrow as positioned kbythe positioning memberscentral-ly into the machine; an elevator for elevating the-row and asmooth surfaced row'pusher thereover resting upon and frictionally topush the row rearwardly of the machine while being elevated, and meansincluding a motor on the frame for operating the feeding member-elevatorand pushing member.V

7. A potato digger comprising a frame, a

feeding member at lthe front end thereof AforV feeding the potato rowcentrally into the frame, a row raising elevator, a smooth sur;

faced row pushing member suspended above the elevator resting uponandfrictionally for pushing the row rearwardly while it is being elevated;a receiver and swinging shaker also on the frame to receive the row fromthe re- Vceiver,-a vine buncheraeting intermittently to drop the vines1n bunches,and means 1n` cluding amotor for operating the feeder, theelevator, the pusher member and shaker. Y 8. A potato digger comprisinga frame, an

elevator lthereon for elevating kthe row, a cooperatingsmooth faced rowpusher thereover'constructed to have sliding frictional Y engagementwith the row for pushing the row upwardly while it isbeing elevated, alaterallymovable shaker adjacent'the elevator, and

` a receiver on thekv frame above the shaker and below the top kof theelevator to convey the row in a substantially horizontal direction tokthe shaker.

9. A potato digger comprising a frame, av

motor operated rotating beveled row feeding member near-the forward endthereof, a rowl row rearwardly while itis raising elevator onthe frame,a smooth faced row intact; a swinging shaker with a buncher onthe framefor receiving the row lfrom the elevator, and distributing the contents,kickers in the-shaker for kicking the vines toward the bunching memberyfor delivering the vines f in bunches intermittently. 1 1

l0. A potato digger comprising a frame, a rotatable row feeding memberfor gathering the Vvines and feeding them rearwardly centrally of thedigger, an elevator to receive the row from the feeder, a row pushercooperating with the elevator for raising the row upwardly of the frame;a traveling receiver adjacent the elevator for'receiving-the rowtherefrom, a vibrating shakerlon the frame adjacent. the receiver withkickers in the shaker foi-.kicking the vines therein rearwardly, and avine buncher also onthe frame for collecting the vines-,in bunches anddelivering them intermittently from the digger. ll. A potato diggercomprising` a frame, a spool-shaped-motor operated ribbed row feedingmember on the frame, a spade having a rounded noseand with side members,on the frame adjacent the vfeeding member,and an elevator on the framefor"elevatingthe row for delivery from the frame. Y i- 12. A potatodigger comprising a frame, a motor operated row positioning memberthereon between the'longitudinal yplanes of elevator for positioningvthe side edges of the j the vines of the row longitudinall ofthe digger,a spade on the frame for raising the row so positioned bythe*positioning-member; an elevator onthe frame elevating the row and atraveling smoothfaced row pusher for resting upon fandV frictionall s,pushingfthe eing elevated, and means on the4 frame for depositing therow at either sideofv the pathjof travel of the digger; and rowagitating means also on the frame. y Y' l Y 13.- Apotato diggercomprising a frame, a rotatable row feeder near the forward'end thereof;an elevator on the framefor elevating. the row, a traveling receiver forreceiving the row from the elevator and a vibrating shaker on Vthe framein the rear ofthe receiver for separating the dirt and rocks from therest of the row, andy a kicking memberfor kicking the row rearwardlyfrom lthe receiver into the shaker.

ing and swinging shaker with a buncher Y'.

therein for bunching thevines of the'frame and delivering them inbunches intermittently at one side of the digger.

15. A potato digger comprising a frame with a row condensing and feedingmember thereon, an elevator on the frame, a row pusher also on the frameand cooperating with the elevator to push the material While it is beingelevated; a. traveling receiving member adjacent the elevator' forreceiving the row therefrom, a swinging shaker With a vine buncher andkicker therein adjacent the receiver for bunching the vines and deliver-*row holding and feeding roller,

ing them'so bunched; and a scraper for scraping a channel in theearth'to receive the potatoes. f f

16. In a potato digger, a counterbalanced a motor and means connectingit and the roller for operating the latter, and means capable ofoperation by the hand or foot for controlling said rollerv as toposition, and increasing its tractionpower upon the rollen` In testimonywhereof I have signed name to this specification.,

THOMAS GIBERsoN.

